INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Below, is a list of current infrastructure projects within the group. Please get in touch to find out more!
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NANOTHERAPEUTICS HUB
The Nanotherapeutics Hub (NTH) at the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) supports the development of nanotherapeutic delivery systems, locally and nationally. The majority of nanopharmaceuticals approved, and in clinical development, incorporate previously approved drugs and are based on a variety of drug delivery platforms, including polymeric micelles, liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, and inorganic NPs. A review of clinicaltrials.gov and of the EMA clinical trials portal reveals a further increase in nanopharmaceutical candidates in clinical evaluation; combining this data with growth trend commentaries from various market reports, we estimate there are about 110 candidates in clinical trials at this time (~98 listed on clinicaltrials.gov of which about 40 were for cancer; 12 listed at the EMA).
Despite an increasing interest in nanopharmaceuticals to support the clinical development and commercialisation of new molecular entities (small molecules, nucleic acids, proteins), there remains a number of technical and logistical challenges to their introduction, which for many companies will lead to long development timelines and high clinical failure rates, whilst also acting as a barrier to securing investment; NTH provides support in these areas, based on our expertise and experience.
IICON
iiCON brings together the North West’s largest concentration of infectious diseases research in the UK in a new £120M programme. It capitalises on the region’s track record in working on active translational programmes in vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and antiviral formulations. Our two new programmes of work will mark the start of an exciting translational pipeline of novel therapeutics and interventions to significantly impact human health. The Nanotherapeutics Hub (NTH) joined iiCON as a platform in May 2021.
EUNCL
Nanomaterials developed for medical application are of broad range. Due to the complex nature of different nanomaterials, their characterization is often proven to be extensive and obscure for developers. However, to respond to the requirements of the regulatory agencies before new nanomaterials get approved, the extensive characterization of the nanomaterial is needed. To achieve this, the EUNCL was established as a decentralised institution composed of multiple European key reference centres combining diverse core competences in one unique service centre.
The EUNCL has a strong partnership with the USNCL which was founded in 2004 by the NCI (National Cancer Institute, Frederick, USA) to accelerate development of promising nanotech therapies and diagnostics. Based on this expertise the EUNCL developed an "Assay cascade" for new nanomaterials which covers the physical and chemical characterization (PCC) as well as in vitro and in vivo biological properties. This set of assays allows a full characterization for nanomaterials.
The aim of EUNCL is to provide state-of-the-art pre-clinical characterization of innovative nanomaterials in order to accelerate their development towards the regulatory approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the national agencies. Additionally, product developers (public laboratories, spin-offs and SMEs) are guided through this process by the efficient management team unifying expertise from internal and external experts. As a result, the EUNCL serve as a European resource and knowledge base for researchers and industry to guide and facilitate the regulatory review of new nanomaterials, which will accelerate the transition of innovative nanomaterials into medical applications.
The University of Liverpool (Liptrott) is leading the immunological and haematological characterisation of candidate nanoparticles and nano-biomaterials.
REFINE
REFINE is gathering a wide community of stakeholders in regulation, industry, science, technology development, patients, and end-users, into a Consortium for the Advancement of Regulatory Science in Biomaterials and Nanomedicine.
We are building a Regulatory Science framework to close the gaps in the existing development of nanomedicine products. In collaboration with regulators, scientists and clinicians this involves:
A clear overview of current, and anticipated, regulatory concerns including harmonisation of analytical approaches.
A gap analysis to address disparity in regulator and developer dialogues
A novel database to transfer new scientific evidence into regulatory strategies, and to translate regulatory concerns into hot spots in the standard testing cascades.
Within this project, Liverpool (Liptrott) is leading the development of novel immunological assays to suport the compatibility assessment of nanobiomaterials.
SAFE-N-MEDTECH
In an effort to gain a better understanding of Gene Transcription Enhancers, I have recently begun to use a new technique to investigate the organization and functionality of the diverse parts of my experimental model. I am currently looking to expand this work by collaborating with other labs who have the facilities and prior experience to investigate this project further.